Electrical connector



Jan. 9, 1968 G. H. GLUNTZ ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 G. H. GLUNTZ Jan. 9, 1968 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2 2, 1965 United States Patent 3,363,224 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Glenn Harlan Gluntz, Harrisburg, Linn Stephen Lightner,

Camp Hill, and John Ivan Shue, Jr., York, Pa., assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,339 13 Claims. (Cl. 339-258) This invention relates to the art of electrical connectors and more particularly to a new and novel female contact member.

An object of the present invention to to provide a female contact which is capable of connection to various types of electrical components.

A further object is to provide a female contact which is compact and rigid in construction.

A still further object is to provide a female contact which is relatively inexpensive yet is reliable in operation.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purpose of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a contact adapted to be connected to a wire conductor;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a contact adapted to be connected to a tape cable;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a contact adapted to be connected to a board or panel;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the contact in its flat form;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the contact as it progresses through its various manufacturing stations;

FIGURE 6 is a crosssectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional View taken along the lines 77 of FIGURE 6.

The female contact embodying the present invention is generally in one of three basic versions, namely a crimp version wherein the contact may be secured to a wire conductor, a tab version wherein the contact may be secured to a tape cable, and a tine version wherein the contact may be secured to a panel or module board. One of the unique features of the present invention is that the three versions of the contact are all formed from essentially the same fiat pattern thus minimizing die costs. The emale contacts are preferably made from a thin resilient sheet material and for ease of handling the contacts are produced in strip form with the contacts having their major longitudinal axis disposed either parallel or normal to the strip as desired.

Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG- URE 4, there is shown the female contact of the present invention in its flat form prior to bending. The contact 10 comprises a pair of transverse strap-forming portions 12 and 14 joined by a central strip 16 and two outer strips 13 and 20, the central strip 16 being of appromnately twice the width of each outer strip 18 and 2%. Intermediate the central and outer strips are a pair of generally triangular spring-forming portions 22 having their wide end adjacent portion 14 and thereafter gradually decreasing in cross-sectional area to a point adjacent portion 12. The

spring-forming portions 22 are formed by stamping generally triangular sections 24, 26, 28 and 36 from the flat sheet. Section 26 may have an extension 32 which is stamped from the sheet and extends transversely to provide clearance for a lance, if desired, to be described. Extending from portion 12 is a strip 34 having laterally offset tabs 36. The strip 34 and tabs 36 are for connecting the contact to a tape cable, it being understood that the strip 34 and tabs 36 would be replaced by other appropriate means, to be described, in the crimp version and tine version of the contact.

Turning now to FIGURE 5 there is shown a progression as a strip of contacts moves through the various forming stations. In this illustration the crimp version of the contact has been shown. At station A the contact is substantially in its flat form with a few exceptions. The wire barrel 38 has been swaged so that its ends are curved slightly downwardly. Also, the spring members 22 have been severed from strap portion 12 and are displaced upwardly. The line of severance is displaced slightly from the edge of strap 12 leaving a pair of small tabs 40 which are coined so as to underlie springs 22 and thus form antioverstress means as will become apparent as the description proceeds. For additional strength the springs 22 are embossed at 42 where the springs are connected to strap 14. The wire barrel 38 has been serrated at 44 in a conventional manner to provide better electrical connection between the barrel and a wire conductor about which the barrel is crimped. Lastly, the forward edge 46 of strap 12 has been bevelled so as to permit easy entrance of a male contact into the female contact when the latter has been formed intO its final shape.

The contact next proceeds to station B whereat the spring members 22 are bent upwardly to a position beyond that which they will ultimately assume. At station C the spring members 22 are bent downwardly into their final position with the said springs having a gentle curvature over substantially their entire length. The purpose of bending the springs in two stages is to place a large compressive stress on the inner surface of the springs whereby the springs may be subsequently deflected much farther prior to hitting their yield point than would be the case if the springs had been formed in one step with a relatively low compressive stress being formed on the inner surfaces.

At station D the outer strips 18 and 20 are bent upwardly at right angles to strap portions 12 and 14. The contact then proceeds to station E where a lance 43 is cut from central strip 16, said lance being for the purpose of securing said contact within a suitable insulated jacket. In slicing through central strip 16 the lance 48 is caused to deflect downwardly and slightly laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact 10, thus providing clearance between the lance and the remaining portion 51') of central strip 16. The lateral movement of lance 48 is due to the normal tendency of the metal to displace under shearing and tensile forces.

Moving next to station F the wire barrel 38 and the wire insulation support 52 are U-ed into wire receiving position and the strap portions 12 and 14 are partially folded. Finally, at station G, the strap portions 12 and 14 are given their final fold to produce a contact with a housing which is elongated and generally rectangular. The ends of the housing are open to receive the male contact member while the four sides of the housing are substantially closed. It can be seen that the sides of the housing comprise the outer strips 13 and 20 on one side, the spring members 22 on the second and third sides, and the lance 48 and strip portion 50 on the fourth side. By closing the housing on all four sides, the contact is rendered quite strong. Another important feature of a closed housing is that it allows for substantial misalignment between the male and female contacts, that is the male may be inserted into the end 54 of contact at an angle to the longitudinal axis of contact 10 whereby the closed sides of the housing Will compel the male to align itself and seat properly within the female. If the sides of the female housing were open the male could pass through an open side whereby there would be no electrical connection.

When the contact 10 is in its completed form, the spring members 22 preferably abut at a point near their free end, as indicated at 56. The spring members 22 are so proportioned that they are cantilever beams during initial insertion of the male whereas the male will ultimately force the free ends of the springs to contact coined surfaces 40 to avoid overstressing the springs and also to provide support for the springs at their free ends. By supporting the free ends of the springs during the final portion of insertion of the male member the springs exert a much higher force than could be exerted by a simple cantilever member. The generally triangular shape of spring members 22 provides optimum stress and curvature characteristics, a triangle being the optimum cantilever beam.

.The contact shown in FIGURE 3 is identical to the previously described contacts except that a pair of tines 58 and 60 are secured to straps 12 and 14, said tines being insertable within suitable openings in a panel or board member to thus adapt the contact 10 to use in various modular assemblies.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

We claim:

1. A female contact comprising an elongated housing, first and second strap portions at opposite ends of said housing, a pair of spring members projecting inwardly from opposite sides of said housing and secured at one end to said first strap portion, anti-overstress means extending from said second strap portion and positioned to be engaged by the free ends of said spring members,

coined surface means for causing said anti-overstress means to overlie the free ends of said spring members, and meansintegral with at least one of said strap portions for securing said contact to an electrical circuit member.

2. A female contact as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring members are curved inwardly over substantially their entire length and are proportioned so as to contact said anti-overstress means during insertion of a male contact member into said housing whereby said spring members are fixedly secured at one end and slidably secured at their opposite end.

3. A female contact as set forth in claim 2 further comprising an embossed area at the junction of each of said spring members and said first strap portion.

4. A female contact as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring members are generally triangular whereby the cross-sectional area of said spring members decreases from a point adjacent the first strap portion to a point adjacent the free end of said spring members, and wherein said coined surface means is integral with said second strap portion.

5. A female contact as defined in claim 1 wherein said last named means comprises a barrel for securing said said first and second strap portions for securing said contact to a board member.

7. A female contact as defined in claim 1 wherein said last named means comprises a strip extending from one of said strap portions and having a plurality of tabs for connecting said contact to a tape cable.

8. A female contact as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring members are pre-stressed.

9. A female contact as set forth in claim l'further comprising a raised lance extending from a side of said housing, said lance being disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said housing.

10. A female contact comprising an elongated housing of generally rectangular form, a first strap portion secured to one end of said housing, a second strap portion secured to the opposite end of said housing, a pair of oppositely directed curved spring members extending along said housing and secured at one end to said first strap portion and having their opposite ends free, an embossed surface at the junction of said spring members and said first strap portion for strengthening said spring members, anti-overstress means comprising a coined surface integral with said second strap portion for defining the extent of outward movement of said spring members, said spring members being of progressively smaller moment of inertia as they approach their free ends, a raised lance extending outwardly from one side of said housing and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said housing, and means secured to said second strap portion for connecting said contact' to an electrical circuit member.

11. A female contact comprising an elongated housing, said housing being open at both ends while being essentially closed throughout its length, a strap member disposed at each end of said housing and being of generally rectangular configuration, a pair of strip members secured at their ends to said strap members and being disposed in parallel abutting relationship to form one side of said' housing, a pair of spring members secured at one end to one of said strap members at opposite sides thereof, said spring members having their opposite ends free, said spring members further being of diminishing cross-section from the fixed end to the free end thereof, a coined integral protuberance extending from each of opposite sides of the other of said strap members and positioned tobe en gaged by the free ends of said spring members when the latter are deflected outwardly, and means extending from said other of said strap members for connecting said con tact to an electrically conductive member.

12. The contact as set forth in claim 11 further comprising lance means extending outwardly from said housing and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said contact whereby said contact'may be secured within an insulated jacket.

13. The contact as set forth in claim 11 further comprising an embossed surface on said spring members at the junction of said springmembers and said one strap member.

References Cited- UNITED STATES PATENTS MARVIN A. CHAMPTON, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A FEMALE CONTACT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING, FIRST AND SECOND STRAP PORTIONS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID HOUSING, A PAIR OF SPRING MEMBERS PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HOUSING AND SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID FIRST STRAP PORTION, ANTI-OVERSTRESS MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND STRAP PORTION AND POSITIONED TO 